Presses for packing loose, compressible material, such as tobacco, are well known in the art such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,595,282, 3,641,734 and 3,817,298. These presses can pack the material into rectangular cases or cylindrical hogsheads. They typically include an open ended hollow, vertically oriented charger for delivering the material into the container, which is positioned below the charger, and for supporting a column of the material extending upwardly from the container. Also included is a pressing ram movable through the charger to pack the material in the charger into the container.
Due to the high forces generated by the downwardly moving pressing ram compressing the material, as well as the pneumatic pressure created by compressing entrained air in the charger, a reinforcing device is typically used on the inside or outside of the container to prevent the container's outward collapse.
However, numerous problems have plagued these prior art devices that reinforce the container. For example, they are costly and complicated to manufacture and those used on the inside of the container tend to scar the material or break under the high compressive forces encountered under repeated use.
There has also been a continued need to decrease the cycle time of such presses, reduce their vertical height which is costly from manufacturing and space standpoints, simplify the infeed conveying organization for the material and reduce the amount of dust generated during the packing of the material.
Thus, there is continuing need for improvement in such presses for packing compressible material, such as tobacco.
Examples of the prior art devices discussed above are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,954,730 to Moser; 2,984,172 to Roberts et al; 3,405,744 to Bowman; 3,595,282 to Fishburne et al; and 3,641,734 and 3,817,298 to Fishburne.